The Heirs of Sinbad
by Roque Amadi
Summary: An AU picking up after the first film. Will has joined the Navy in order to convince Elizabeth's father to allow their marriage, but the ship and crew are unexpectedly attacked by a fleet of unfamiliar pirate ships. Willabeth, some WillOC, some Sparrabeth
1. Will's Unconsciousness

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Will Turner. Or, in fact, anyone in this story, so far.

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Three days. 

It had been three days since the ship was captured, three days since Will had eaten and three days since he'd seen the light of day. He was squashed in a cell with twenty other sailors of varying ranks – luckily not including commodore – and so he also hadn't slept properly for at least four days either. The place stank. He felt like he was dirtier than he'd ever been in his life. He wasn't even sure that he was fully conscious.

Later, he hardly remembered the rough hands that forced him to his feet, the march from the brig up onto deck where the light blinded him and he couldn't see anyway, down the gangplank to what he assumed was a port and at some stage later lining up behind the other sailors again.

The attack had been fast.

He remembered the cry of "Sail ho!" from the crow's nest and someone yelling at him to run and get the Commodore. He left his bucket and mop and ran below, but he had barely even cleared the stairs when the cannon fire started. He was thrown off his feet as the ship shuddered, and he wondered who could be firing on them – the ship they'd just spotted was too far out to hit them yet. Commodore Norrington rushed past him up onto the deck even before Will had regained his feet, yelling for all hands and to man the cannons.

Will ran after him, and as soon as he reached the top of the stairs, he looked up in awe at the attacking ship looming over them on starboard side. It would have to be the biggest ship he'd ever seen – he wondered how they got it to stay afloat. He snapped out of his daze as the gunfire started, ducking and pulling out his pistol, but for all the good it would do it may as well have been made out of wood.

They were already being boarded… Injured crewmembers and blood was starting to cover the deck… Who were these pirates? And suddenly the fight was over before Will had any chance to join it. The enemy crew were gathering them all together in a tight circle around the main mast – there were so many of them! Some of them dressed like pirates, but some were as well-dressed and tidy-looking as Will, and there was an abnormal amount of women among them, too.

Now someone was turning Will around, shoving him against the mast and roping his hands together, then he was pushed into line behind another sailor and they were ordered to march straight down to their own brig. The ship, with one of the best crews in the Navy, had been completely defeated and captured in less than five minutes.

Someone was pouring water down Will's throat. He spluttered and opened his eyes, a wave of disorientation washing over him as he realised he was lying on the ground. He must have fainted.

"Come on now, young sailor-boy," a voice said. He focused on a big fat man dressed in rich clothing. He had no idea where he was or how much time had passed. "I know a few buyers who'll be interested in you straight away, but it won't work out too well if you're fainting all over the place, know what I mean?" He laughed. Will had no idea what he was talking about, and his accent was unfamiliar. Now he was pushing bread into Will's mouth, and some kind of liquid that seemed to set his whole head on fire. Gradually, he regained his awareness. He was still outside, lying next to the line of his fellow captive sailors. He sat up and looked around.

This was a slave market.

Suddenly, a giant of a man with incredibly dark skin loomed in front of Will. "Are you Turner, boy?" he asked, his voice lower, if possible, than a growl.

Will nodded. However, it felt like he was in fact shaking his brains around inside his head, so he quickly stopped. At this stage, he wasn't quite up to asking any questions. Once again, he was pulled roughly to his feet, beginning to feel marginally more alert.

"This one's not for sale," the man growled to the slaver. Some kind of brief argument ensued but Will didn't make much sense of it. Now he was being marched back to the ships.

Wherever they were, it was hotter and more humid than Port Royal. He noticed that his hands were tied in front of him, and that there was no Navy presence at all. This port was probably run entirely by the slavers.

They marched on to the giant ship that had attacked them and another of the captors somewhat familiar to Will, joined them. They seemed to have arrived, because they giant man stopped and pushed Will down onto a crate near the edge of the deck.

"You will tell us the location of Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl," he ordered.

Will cleared his dry throat. "I don't know where he is. I last saw him in Port Royal."

Louder and more aggressive, the man repeated, "You will tell us the location of Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl or we will sack Port Royal and kill the Governor's daughter."

"Leave her out of this-" Will began, but the man smacked him across the temple so hard that he saw stars.

"If I were searching for him," he said through clenched teeth, "I'd probably try Tortuga. But I'm not guaranteeing he'll be there. I've had no contact with him for months."

A small boy had approached the giant man, who turned to listen to his message before patting his head and sending him off again. The kind gesture struck Will as strange, but he didn't have the time to consider it.

"Captain Sinbad wants to see you," he growled. "Report to the Captain's cabin."

Then he turned away and left Will sitting there dumbly. Sinbad… He hadn't heard that Sinbad's legendary fleet of pirate ships had ever sailed this far into the Spanish Main. Pushing himself to his feet, he walked across to the Captain's cabin and awkwardly raised both hands together to knock on the door. A moment later, a young woman about his own age answered.

"Yes?"

"I was sent to see Captain Sinbad."

"Yes?"

"…Can I see him, please?"

She frowned. Her hair was cut in a short boy's mop and she was dressed like a man, too, in pants and a shirt with a frivolous amount of frills, and a big hat. In fact, a captain's hat.

"The last male Sinbad was my father, and he's dead. So no, you can't see him. But you can see me. Please don't do the jaw-dropping thing, I get enough of that already. What did you say your name was?"

"Will Turner."

"Ah yes, I've been expecting you. Come in."

She led him in to a rather lavishly-furnished room and sat him down at a table piled with just as lavish food, and continued speaking in her hurried, curt tone.

"You eat, I'll talk. I'm sorry for your imprisonment, but I didn't know we'd captured anyone of value until one of my crew recognised you." Will attacked the bread and fruit as she spoke. He'd never tasted anything so good in his life. "I think I know a fair bit about you already. You were a blacksmith in Port Royal until the Black Pearl sacked the town and captured one Elizabeth Swann, so you collaborated with the pirate Jack Sparrow to find the ship and rescue her – of course there was all that Aztec gold curse business – but now you've joined the Royal Navy in order to impress your beloved's father into allowing your marriage. Am I correct so far?"

Will nodded, his mouth ridiculously full of food.

"And as you are under the command of one Commodore Norrington, from whom you stole Elizabeth in the course of your adventures, I don't imagine you're having much luck."

Will shook his head.

"Well, Mr Turner, I have a proposition for you. Stay with my fleet for a while and let me take you on as an apprentice. If you do well in the next few months, I'll give you your own ship to do whatever you like with – even if all you do is to sail it back to Port Royal and tell them you captured it from pirates."

Swallowing hard, he frowned. "And what's in this bargain for you?"

"Nothing at all, except for the honour of working with you." When Will didn't respond she darkened. "Take me offer or leave it, but don't sit there and act like I'm lying to yer." Her high-class accent suddenly disappeared as she raised her voice, and she immediately sounded much more like a pirate. "If you're not interested," she said, regaining her composure, "we can set you down here and you can find your own way home."

Will didn't need to consider for long. "Alright," he said. They shook hands.

"My name is Kari, but I'd prefer it if you didn't flaunt the fact that you know Sinbad is actually female. It's not general knowledge."

"Pleased to meet you," he replied warily. _At least_, he considered, _here I might have a better chance at promotion…_

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Reviews are welcome:) 


	2. Will's Curiosity

Will followed Kari out of the cabin and up to the helm, where the big man who had collected Will stood waiting.

"Will Turner, I'd like you to meet my first mate, bodyguard, and decoy – Kale."

"We've met," Will said dryly as the other man crushed his hand in a brief handshake.

"Captain, we're ready to cast off."

She nodded. "As soon as you're ready."

Kale started bellowing orders to the crew and Will followed Kari back down the companionway.

"Wait –" he called after her. "So we're just leaving the navy crew here?"

She turned back to him. "Of course not." She jangled a bag heavy with gold in front of his eyes.

"Got good money for them at the market."

"But… I don't understand. You're just condemning them to slavery?" His morals were rioting inside him.

Kari narrowed her eyes. "It be no more than they deserve." Then she waved him away. "That'll be enough for you. Go and make yourself useful somewhere."

For the next few days the captain sent Will for a brief apprenticeship with each of the ship's high-ranking crewmen or women, and she quizzed him every night to ensure he was learning. He spent time with the second mate and navigator, the able-bodied seamen and the ordinary ones, the chief steward – or stewardess, as it were – the cooks and mess staff, and, of course, the captain herself.

He learnt that they'd sent a small, fast ship to Tortuga to search for Jack, and that the rest of the fleet wasn't searching only because they were currently on a smuggling job, carrying a large amount of contraband to some small island just east of the Caribbean sea, off the coast of Venezuela.

He was also getting to know the crew; the chief stewardess was a woman named Sara who Sinbad had rescued from slavery and prostitution. The second mate was an older man called Bailer who had been in the navy as well, and he had shown too much mercy towards merchants and foreigners for his hardened captain's liking, which resulted in his being 'accidentally' pushed overboard. Sinbad's fleet had passed by soon after and they pulled him out of the water. Having taken a liking to Will, Bailer also whispered Kale's story to him as they sat in the forecastle for a navigating lesson.

"Captain happened to be in a port town where a merchant ship'd been named 'illegal' by the navy there, and they was hangin' the crew what hadn't already been killed when they took the ship." He leaned closer to Will and lowered his voice to a whisper. "It be said Kale had already lost his father and two brothers in the fight. The Captain, she heard what was goin' on and took her crew to the prisons during the night, where they fought off the guards and rescued all them inside. And Kale, he was ready to be dyin', his leg broke and his wounds bleedin' and nearly blind from a slash to the eye."

"Oh, the scar," Will nodded, picturing the slash that ran from Kale's forehead to jaw.

"Aye. Anyway, Karima vowed she wouldn't leave him there, and she carried him on her back all the way to the ship, fightin' through 100 men to get there."

Will nodded, deciding not to point out the exaggeration that Kari would be able to carry the giant Kale.

"Wait – Karima? Is that her full name?"

"Aye. Part African, I'm told."

The giant ship they were on was Sinbad's flagship, aptly named 'The Might', and Will learned that only Kari's most trusted and faithful crew members worked aboard. In fact, on most of the other 17 ships currently sailing with them, the crews were made up of regular pirates, employed by Sinbad (who they thought was Kale) and well-paid for their allegiance with gold from her own personal treasure trove, the location of which Will certainly wasn't allowed to know yet.

As he lay in his bunk one night about a week into the voyage he wondered why she was gathering so many extra ships into her fleet. There'd been vague mutterings amongst the crew that she was planning something big, but no one knew what it was. The man above him gave a loud snort in his sleep and Will took it as symbolic, deciding to get up and have a proper look around the ship while no one was closely monitoring him, as the captain had made sure of so far. He shoved on his boots, strapped his belt loosely around his waist and grabbed a shirt to pull on as he left the crew's quarters quietly and made his way deeper into the bowels of the ship. He climbed down three levels, passing the cannons and the brig – he repressed a shudder as he recalled his three days in there, but the cells were all vacant now. Once he found the cargo hold he lit a lantern by the companionway and ventured in amongst the unmarked crates stacked everywhere. When he realised he would gain nothing from looking at the outsides of them, he set the lantern down and drew his sword. After some muffled wrenching he loosened the nails on one of the crates and pulled the lid off, peering inside at the bags of… grain? He slashed one open to check that the labelling wasn't false on purpose, but it was telling the truth. The highly illegal contraband they were smuggling was food? He had been expecting at least gunpowder or something dangerous. He decided to check another crate just to be sure –

"Please don't ruin another one of my boxes." Will spun around to find that Kari had him at sword point. How had she known he was down here? "If you're so curious to know, that one has medicine in it. You can tell by the X scratched in the corner. Food has an O." She waved the sword at the small marks, and Will glanced over, wondering how he missed that before. "Now. What do you bloody think you're doing?" She placed her hands on her hips, and in doing so lowered the sword, so Will took the chance to grab his from where he'd left it sitting on the crate.

"What are you really smuggling?" He demanded, holding his sword in ready position and taking a defensive stance. "I know it's not food and medical supplies. Tell me!"

She batted his sword away with hers impatiently. "Why can't it be food and medical supplies, whelp?"

"Because these pirates respect you!" Will's voice was raised with a flair of anger. "And you put on this act in front of me, pretending you're all respectable and honourable, and yet you sell men into slavery without a second thought. Why would you be paying pirates to join your fleet just so you can smuggle _food_? And what do you want with _me_?"

Will was prepared to fight and held his sword strongly, but with a swift stroke of immense power she dashed it from his hand and kicked out at him, sending him sprawling on the floor. He scrambled backwards and tried to rise but she stood over him and dealt him a slash across his left shoulder. "That's for callin' me a liar," she barked, and slashed him again just below his right hip and dangerously close to his groin. "And that's for disobeyin' me rules aboard me own ship." The cuts weren't deep, though they caused Will considerable blood and pain. Her main aim was to humiliate him, which she had; his shirt was torn open and his pants no longer concealed his underwear. He lay still, waiting for the next one to fall, but it seemed she was finished.

Re-sheathing her sword, she gazed down at him with disdain. Then she said, more to herself than to him, "I need to find Jack." She turned her back to him and marched off, taking the lantern with her and leaving Will with darkness, shame and blood.


	3. A little bit of failed seduction

As was Sinbad's intention, Will didn't sleep that night – he was up repairing his clothes to wear the next day, and he had never been any good at sewing. He also dabbed at his wounds with a damp cloth, but they were in such awkward places he couldn't do much.

He sighed and lay back on his bunk an hour before he had to rise, letting his mind drift to Elizabeth and the few blissful days they'd shared between his proposal and her exile to finishing school.

As it happened, today was the day they delivered their cargo. Getting it ashore was the hardest part, and it took most of the day.

They had to load everything onto smaller ships that could sail into the shallower waters to a dilapidated jetty, where the native men met them to carry to the village. Kari chose about twenty of the crew to go with her to the village and another thirty to keep a lookout on the beach in case of trouble. As she had not even condescended to look at him, let alone speak to him, since last night, Will was surprised to be chosen to go to the village. However, he soon found that all it meant was that he had to help carry the last of the heavy crates from the jetty.

From the beach, they followed a narrow path through dense jungle for about an hour, and as they walked, Bailer explained the situation in an undertone. The village they were heading to was the first of many that were deeper in the jungle, and these supplies would be shared out amongst all of them. Previously, they had survived by trading their own products – whatever they were was not specified to Will – for food and supplies. Now, the navy wanted control of their land, but they would not give it up. They had fought many bloody battles already. Unable to defeat them, and navy had formed a blockade and was stopping all supplies in and out – however, they didn't know about the secret dock that Sinbad used.

The crew soon arrived at the small village that was built around a freshwater stream.

Will had not expected to place to be so bleak. The villagers, standing hesitantly by the small huts, were thin and sick, and the young men who had met them at the dock were all wiry and lacked the muscle that they should have had. The village itself was barely holding together. He placed his crate down next to the others in the centre of the village and went over to a small clump of trees, where the rest of the crew were sitting or standing in the shade. Bailer handed him a flask of water and he drank gratefully, watching as Kari spoke with the chief of the village in his native tongue.

Suddenly, a pretty girl of about fifteen broke away from the crowd of watching villagers and threw herself at Will's feet, sobbing out something he couldn't understand and kissing his hands.

Sinbad turned from the chief and sharply admonished the girl, who got to her feet but gazed at Will pleadingly.

He looked over at Karima, asking "What is she saying?"

"She wants you to marry her and take her away from this place. I told her not to sell herself."

Some of the pirates sniggered, but Will didn't notice. Now, having seen the village and it's desperate condition, he was beginning to understand Kari's motives and why she was so angry when he challenged her. In an effort to subtly ask her to forgive him, he looked her in the eye and said, "Tell her that if I could I would rescue all of them and take them away, but that it is better that we help them to live here, in their home."

Kari's pause and nod before she translated was enough to tell Will she'd understood him. Hearing the translation, the girl nearly started crying again, but she went back to her family. She really was extremely pretty, and Will understood that she would try to use that to her advantage to escape.

As evening was approaching, the chief invited Kari and her crew to stay until morning, and she accepted.

Will watched the festivities for a while, but soon retired, needing to catch up on the sleep he lost last night.

He picked one of the piles of grass and straw that had been prepared for them as beds over behind the huts, and lay down, soon falling into a dream about Elizabeth… He could almost feel her kiss… Will opened his eyes. He _was_ being kissed. Just not by Elizabeth.

Gently, trying not to be rough, he sat up and pushed the girl off him, but she was very determined. To his surprise, she forcefully pushed him back down again, whispering in his ear, "You take me on ship, I give you every night," and Will's eyes widened in shock as her hand crept down beneath his waistband and cupped him. She was surprisingly strong – she wouldn't let him up.

"No, you mustn't-" he tried to speak, but she cut him off with a kiss.

His shirt was undone and she was making fast work of his pants, and he found that he was involuntarily hardening under her touch.

_This is going too far_, he thought, forcing himself up.

"You no love me?" she asked, hurt.

Will steeled himself. "No."

"I give you love. Every night I give you!"

"No," he said firmly, catching her hand before it could reach his groin again. "You don't love me. Not truly."

Sighing, the girl got up.

"You change mind, you come me."

Will nodded. "Okay." She ran off, and he flopped back again, wiping sweat from his forehead. He had said it before, but now he knew it in his heart – he was with Sinbad. If there was a way to really help these people, he would do it.

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This chapter was a bit shorter than the others, but that's because the next one will, I think, be a longer one!

Any reviews would be appreciated:)


	4. Enter the Black Pearl

Will opened his eyes. Above him, the sky was still dark, but lightening towards the east. Around him, the rest of the crew were still snoring. But something had woken him. Getting to his feet, he went back to the village centre where some people were awake, including Sinbad, standing in a circle and discussing something urgently. Will tapped her on the shoulder lightly.

"What's going on?" He asked in an undertone.

"We've been found, and they're surrounding us. The crew back at the beach sent word, and they're going to take them from behind as soon as the sun touches the horizon." She pointed to the east. "A few minutes yet."

Will frowned. "Shall I wake the crew?"

"No," Kari shook her head. "Not until the fighting begins. They will make too much noise and want to rush out and fight. It is better that we let the enemy think they still have the element of surprise."

"Ah," Will understood. So they just had to act casual until sunrise. Glancing around, he now saw the faces of the villagers peering out of huts, and some even in the fringes of the jungle around the village. They were all so well camouflaged that he had to see them peripherally rather than straight on.

He sat down on a log to wait and Kari followed him.

"Why can't they just leave these people alone?" She muttered. "They'd better pray I don't get to any of them. I'll tear them apart." She was fiddling with her dagger, letting it drop point-down into the dirt then pulling it out again. Will wasn't sure how to reply, but he didn't get a chance, because the next thing he heard was a gun shot. They both stood up and looked in the direction it had come from, then back to the east. The sun was still not visible.

"Something must have gone wrong," Kari muttered. Then she darted off with incredible speed. Will wanted to follow her and find out what had happened, but he knew that he had to tell the crew what was happening.

Running back to the sleeping area, he yelled at them all to stop as they were drawing their weapons and getting to their feet.

"They're trying to sneak up on us. Let them think we're still confused – fan out in all directions in the jungle around the village, but don't let them see you! The others from the beach are coming up on them from behind."

"Aye sir, good plan. Let's go, me hearties!" Will blinked at the fact that Bailer had called him 'sir' – where had this authority suddenly come from? Nevertheless, the rest of the crew 'arrrr'd' their agreement – even Kale – and went out into the jungle quietly, as he'd said. Will went in the direction of the first gunshot.

The navy squad never stood a chance.

First of all, they were outnumbered at least two to one, if not more. Second, they stood out like sore thumbs in their red jackets between the trees, while the pirates and the villagers blended in much more easily. And third, they were mostly made up of young, inexperienced sailors. It was ridiculous that they'd even been sent on such a mission.

Will didn't see any of the fighting itself – apparently the beach team couldn't be bothered waiting for sunrise after they saw how few of them there were, and so they just started to pick them off one by one. However, Will went looking for the captain.

He wasn't far into the jungle when he started to find carnage, so it wasn't very hard to find her – he just followed the trail of blood across the undergrowth. Three bodies in red coats before he spotted her, kneeling over the fourth body, and her shoulders were shaking.

He was still far enough away that he could turn back – she was obviously safe, just upset… But about what? His curiosity won in the end.

He walked over to her. As he came closer he saw that the body was just another navy sailor – except he was very young. Will guessed fifteen, no more than sixteen.

"Kari, it's Will," he reached out to touch her shoulder but she jerked away from him roughly. She stumbled to her feet and re-sheathed her sword, regaining her composure incredibly fast.

"What d'yer want?"

"I was just wondering if you were alright," he replied sincerely. Without warning, she slapped him across the cheek, hard.

"Get outta my sight!" she yelled. Will was so shocked at this bizarre reaction that he didn't move fast enough, and she slapped him across the other cheek, if possible even harder. "Move, dolt!"

He stumbled backwards, then turned and nearly walked straight into Kale – where had he come from? – and ducked around him and hurried away, glancing over his shoulder once to see the giant man lead the captain away from the dead boy firmly.

Once he was out of sight, Will slowed down and wondered about what he had just seen. The fearsome captain Sinbad was clearly not as insensitive as she wanted him to believe, but even her hatred of navy men seemed to be complicated. If she really hated them that much, why did she cry over killing them?

Will soon arrived back at the village. There was one or two minor injuries among the crew, but it had mostly been a complete overkill. The villagers thanked them all for their help, giving long speeches that Kari translated, her composure perfectly normal again. Will couldn't be bothered with it. He was suddenly sick of this adventure; he just wanted to get out of there.

They made their way back through the jungle to the beach, and when they got there they found the wreckage of the navy ship as well as two additions to their fleet. The messenger ship was back, and with it was the Black Pearl.

Will's impatience hurried the rest of the crew up, and it was only twenty minutes later that the two ships sat next to each other, the crews lined up behind their captains as the two of them stepped onto a plank between the decks to greet each other coldly.

Will had hoped Jack would wink at him or something at least – he was starting to feel desperate to meet a friendly face. But he had no such luck – all of Jack's attention was focused on Kari. He didn't even seem to notice Will. The two captains greeted each other coldly.

"Captain Sparrow," Kari said curtly.

"Cap'n Sinbad," Jack bowed with a flourish. "How may I be helpin' you?"

"I have a proposition for you. However, I suggest we go somewhere more neutral to discuss it. Your ship will follow mine?"

"Sure, missy, if that's the way you like it. We'll see ya later then."  
Kari nodded and turned to go but Jack spoke again. "Oh by the way, if ye don't mind I'll get you to send my friend across until we get there. We got some catchin' up to do, Mr Turner and I."

Kari seemed to hesitate, but then she turned and found Will in the line behind her. "You heard him, boy. Over you go."

Will stepped over and crossed the plank once the captains had got off, and then the ships were detached and the crews spurred into action by their captains. Then Jack turned to Will.

"Christ, son, what's happened to you? Decided to turn pirate after all, ay? Good lad." Will tried to contradict him, but he continued talking, this time with a wink. "Now, there's someone who's been waiting to see yer. Over this way."

Intrigued, Will followed Jack aft where some of the crew were tying up ropes.

"Alright, now don't go makin' a big fuss, we want to keep this from Sinbad as long as possible, if yer get my drift."

Will had no idea what he was talking about, until one of the pirates turned around and lifted a hat that concealed his face – which turned out to be _her_ face. It was Elizabeth.

Will's eyes widened, and she held a finger to her lips, smiling. "Like Jack said, don't draw attention. Follow me – but don't make it _look_ like you're following me!"

He nodded dumbly and she slipped away to go below, then he turned to Jack.

"How… did this happen? How is she here?"

"She went looking for you, mate. Heard about your ship getting taken, and all. I picked her up in Tortuga – classic runaway case. I'm glad I found her when I did, actually."

Will grasped Jack's shoulders. "Thankyou. Thankyou." He couldn't think of anything else to say. He was too shocked.

Jack grinned. "You'd better get below, son, and enjoy it. I sure envy you."

Will nodded and ran after Elizabeth.

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Yay! They're all back together again. But what's going to happen with Sinbad and Jack? I'll update within a week hopefully.

R&R!


	5. The Pass

For anyone who's following this story, yes I've finally thought up a more original title :) The story is still all the same.

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As soon as Will stepped below deck and out of sight, Elizabeth jumped at him, knocking him backwards into the wall and holding him as if she'd never let go. With a strange melting sensation, Will felt his body release all the physical and mental tension he hadn't fully realised he'd been harbouring, and suddenly he felt weak.

"Oh Will…" Elizabeth murmured into his chest. "Will? Are you alright?" She felt the change too, and looked up at him. He attempted a smile.

"I'm… I'm tired…"  
She put a supporting arm around his shoulders and led him down to a room that, while very small, was her own, and private. She lay Will down on her bed and pulled out a medical kit, then set about stripping him to examine the various wounds he'd sustained since she'd last seen him. He protested weakly, but she put a hand to his mouth.

"You don't have to be manly now," she said with a small smile. "Just rest."

Will nodded and made himself relax back onto the bed. She had reduced him to his shorts and was starting to clean a rather ugly gash just above his left knee – he thought he might have got that during his days in captivity, but he couldn't be sure – when he spoke again.

"Elizabeth… How did you get here?" Looking her over, he saw that she'd cut her hair short like a boy's and wore a bandana that currently sat around her neck, but could be used to conceal her mouth and nose – that coupled with the hat hid her features effectively. She was otherwise dressed as a man – with, he suspected, a little bit of extra padding build in to her shirt to make her shoulders and arms look bigger. She was reasonably dirty, but it was nothing compared to him.

"I ran away from the school," she said eventually. "I heard what happened to you, so I set out for Port Serpiente to rescue you-"

"Port Serpiente?"

"The slave port. They said you were sold." She glanced up at him briefly, her eyes full of emotion, then returned to her work. "I was lucky to meet Jack again in Tortuga. He agreed to help me, and we were just leaving when we got the message from this Sinbad, and she said she had you… I was so relieved… But look at you!" She smiled. "You're a mess!"

"Am I really that bad?" Will asked, looking down at himself. His body was looking – and smelling – rather awful. Then she held a shard of mirror up for him to see his face, and he realised what she meant. He had somehow acquired a rather large gash down the side of his face, and it didn't seem to be healing very well. Besides that, he was very unshaven and dark with dirt.

"Oh," he said, pushing the mirror away. "I see."

Elizabeth lifted a damp cloth to his face and dabbed carefully at the wound, before pausing as their eyes met. Will reached up to the back of her neck and pulled her in for a kiss that lasted a long time. However, when he tried to pull her down onto the bed next to him, she stopped him.

"Later," she whispered. "Let me fix you first."

Will fell asleep before she finished bandaging him, so she went back up on deck and to the helm where Jack stood with his spyglass trained on Sinbad's ship. She pulled her hat a little lower over her face.

"So who is she to you, this Sinbad? An old enemy? I always thought Sinbad stuck to cooler waters, not the Caribbean."

"She did," Jack replied, snapping the spyglass shut. "I'm not entirely sure what she's doing out here, but I intend to find out."

"And do you think she can be trusted?"

Jack grinned. "That depends with what or whom and when, darlin', as with most pirates. But we'll be right for this meeting, anyway."

Elizabeth nodded and stepped back to lean against the rail and watch the ship ahead of them. She noted that Jack had avoided her question about who Sinbad was to him. Perhaps she was an old girlfriend or something. But if that was the case, why wouldn't he brag about it? She let it pass. She'd find out soon enough, anyway.

Besides, if Jack didn't want to tell her, then he probably had a good reason for it. Maybe he didn't want the crew to hear. He had been remarkably open and honest with her since he met her – well, to be honest he rescued her – in Tortuga, and now she certainly owed him her trust. As much as one can trust a pirate, anyway.

About fifteen minutes later, Jack looked over his shoulder at her. "And where's young William got to?"

"He fell asleep," she replied.

"Tired him out already, ay? Don't work him too hard, woman. He's not as big and strong a man as me, remember."

Elizabeth smiled, now well accustomed to Jack's humour. Then, more seriously, she said "Jack, thank you for bringing me here." She stepped over to stand next to him again.

He waved her off. "Don't let's get all solemn now."

Regardless, she put an arm around his shoulders briefly, making him squirm. "Really, I owe you one."

She left the helm and stepped down the companionway to find Will on the deck, having obviously woken up already.

She smiled at him, trying to be discreet, but he was frowning. He stepped over to the rail and picked up a rope to retie, speaking to his shoes so it didn't look like he was speaking to her.

"You're very friendly with Jack."

Elizabeth appeared to be examining a knot next to his. "Yes, he's been a great help." She wasn't exactly sure what Will meant, and was about to ask him when a cry came from the crow's nest – "Land ho!" – and everyone ran to the rail to look.

Ahead of them in the distance loomed a pair of sheer cliff faces with an extremely narrow pass between them. There was muttering amongst the crew, until one called back to Jack, "Do we have to go through _that_?"

Everyone turned back to look at him.

"Unfortunately yes, mates."

Quite a few crewmen groaned, but the first mate Gibbs yelled for all hands to stations. Will was mildly surprised to see Elizabeth react to the call as well, running across the deck to secure some lines, but he didn't follow her. Instead, he went up to the helm.

"You look remarkably cleaner, boy," Jack commented, eyeing him.

"Will we fit through there?" Will asked, ignoring the comment.

"Son, she's planning on sailing through, and she's twice as big as the Pearl. We'll fit easy."

Sinbad seemed not to slow her pace at all as she approached the gap, and she glided through at quite a speed with only a hand's breadth on either side of her hull. Jack seemed determined to match her, but as the walls closed on either side of them he scraped the bow against some rocks, so then he let go of his pride and slowed down.

However, Sinbad kept her speed up, and soon she was out of sight around a corner. And after they carefully rounded it without the mast touching the cliff face, they found that the path forked, and they couldn't see Sinbad's ship down either way.

"What now, Captain?" Gibbs called from the deck.

Jack paused before making his decision. "Weigh anchor. I'm going to climb up and take a look." He grabbed a grappling hook. "Lizzie, you're a good climber. Get up the mast."

Will frowned in confusion. Since when was Elizabeth a good climber? He tried to catch her eye, but she scrambled up the mast after Jack like a natural. She'd obviously learnt some new skills in the months he'd been away. But furthermore, what did she have with Jack? He watched like a hawk as she reached the crow's nest, and as Jack threw the hook across to the top of the cliff, and then as they climbed across. His stomach turned when he saw Jack offer her a hand from the rope to the land. Was he overreacting? Surely she hadn't forgotten her fiancé already?

He shook his head. Of course he was overreacting. Elizabeth had been happy to see him. But then, he'd seen her _hug_ Jack just before – when she thought Will was still asleep, below decks. The old Elizabeth would never have seen fit to _hug_ a pirate, no matter what.

Above him, the two stepped onto the land and disappeared from his sight.

* * *

Look out for the next chapter - the twist is about to be revealed!! (I think it's exciting, anyway...) 


	6. Explanations

Surprisingly, there were patches of grass and a few trees growing on the island, once they'd climbed over the cliff face. Confused thoughts flying around her head, Elizabeth stood looking around at the wide expanse that was split along the middle by the pass where their ship was waiting.

"Well, come on love, haven't got all day," Jack started off along the cliff edge, peering down occasionally at his ship.

After a few minutes walking, Elizabeth asked, "Jack, what do you suppose Will is angry about?"

He glanced back at her but kept walking, frowning as he tried to find the right way to put it.

"Well, I think he's suspicious. Oh look, it's not a fork after all," he turned and bellowed down to the ship, "KEEP GOING!" waving his arms to urge them forwards. Elizabeth looked ahead and saw that the fork did indeed come back together almost immediately.

"Suspicious of what, Jack?" She asked, trotting to keep up with him.

He eyed her sidelong again and then stopped, sighing and frowning.

"He thinks we've been a bit… close. Understand?" He turned and hurried off down the cliff edge as the ship started to catch up with them.

Elizabeth was angry. "Why would he think that? You must be wrong. How could he have such little faith in me?"

Jack grimaced and hurried faster, wondering why he chose her to come with him. Bad luck to have a woman in the crew, anyway…

"Jack!"

"Hey, leave me out of it, love. Look, there's Sinbad's ship anyway. We can climb down now." He ran to the edge and the man in the crow's nest threw the grappling hook out again.

She wasn't sure how it happened, but as she was climbing down after Jack, she slipped. All she thought about as she fell was that she couldn't believe that she'd mucked up, the one time Will was watching her, after all these weeks of practise and making no mistakes at all. However, Jack reached out as she fell past him and grabbed her hand, swinging her back to the safety of the mast. And when she reached the deck again she was embarrassed and angry and she wasn't sure, later, why she did it, but as she thanked Jack she kissed him on the cheek – though very close to his mouth. She was so disgusted with Will for not trusting her, she wanted to make him suffer even more, she supposed.

It was completely effective in that for the rest of the trip Will didn't talk to her.

When they reached Sinbad's ship they found that in the centre of the island was a hidden beach that must only appear at low tide, and the cliff face was here littered with caves. It was to one of these that the group went to parlay – Jack and his chosen crewmember, Elizabeth, as well as Will because he had to swap ships again, and Kari and her first mate Kale.

As soon as the two captains stepped into the cave and out of sight of the ships, they turned to each other, broke in to huge smiles and embraced warmly. Will blinked, completely confused. He'd thought they were enemies. What were they really? His question was soon answered.

"Will and Liz, I'd like to properly introduce you to Karima Sparrow – my sister."

Two jaws dropped – Kale had obviously already been in on the secret.

After proper greetings were exchanged, Jack said, "Well, girlie, what are you so desperate to ask me to do for you?"

Kari sat down on the ground and the others followed suit. She took a while preparing her answer.

"Jack," she said eventually. "You're the oldest."

Jack immediately stood up and backed away. "Oh no, I know where this is going – it's not relevant that I'm older, because I am in fact an illegitimate child. You're the proper heir."

"Please, Jack, just listen to me," Kari suddenly looked very tired and rather older. "I can't do this anymore. I don't have the guts for it, you know I don't. You're braver and stronger, and… You're a man. It's nearly impossible trying to be Sinbad when you're a woman."

"I'm also not cut out for that kind of responsibility, either, darling. I'd make a mess of it; I'd destroy all that bloody respect and honour that goes with the name…" He came back and sat down next to her. "You seem to have done well so far," he said hopefully. "It's a gigantic fleet."

"But I can't keep it up!" She gestured at her first mate. "They all think Kale is Sinbad, but the masquerade can't go on forever. I need a figurehead – if not for good, then at least help me with this one battle."

Jack sat back. "And what battle would that be, love?"

"There's an 'untamed' area near here where the villagers refuse to be converted to British ways. As should be their right. But the Navy has blockaded them and stopped all their trade to try to force them to submit. Will's seen it! Tell him how bad it is, Will!"

Will sat up, surprised to be called on. "It is bad, Jack. One of the girls there wanted me to marry her just so she could get away." He winced immediately after, suddenly realising that he probably shouldn't have said that in front of Elizabeth.

"Exactly," Kari ploughed on. "They're desperate. My plan is to sack the Navy base and make sure they never come back." She paused, and then continued alluringly. "And Jack, there's something else. Something I think you'll find makes it worth taking on the title."

"And that would be?" He asked sceptically.

Reaching into her pocket, Sinbad pulled out a small chunk of glittering rock the size of a coin. "Gold," she said, watching as his eyes lit up with interest. "The Navy control a gold mine at the base, and there are deposits everywhere. This is how the natives have been repaying me for my help – they have no need for it, because they trade item to item, they don't use currency."

Jack sighed, considering carefully. Kari continued to prod.

"Think about it… You could call yourself Commodore instead of Captain. You'd have eighteen ships permanently under your command, plus the thirteen more that are joining us over the next few days for this assault. You could sack any town you liked. You'd never have to worry about being overpowered…"

"Alright, alright, I get the picture," Jack grunted, waving her off. "Okay, dear sister. I'll give it a try." She broke into a grin and lunged to hug him, almost knocking him backwards onto the ground. "Hey, I'm not agreeing to this permanently, alright? Try, I said, I'll _try_ it – just for this battle!"

However, he got the distinct impression that she was ignoring him.

Will, however, didn't join in her enthusiasm. Now that he'd heard the plan, he understood all of Kari's motives, but he was very worried about her going into a battle like this. It could easily turn into a massacre, and he was concerned that she would lose herself again, as she obviously had back in the village.

They stood up and Kari turned to Will again. "Mr Turner, I'll let you chose your path from here. You can come with me or go with Jack."

His concern for the Captain and his confusion and disappointment regarding Elizabeth's true feelings made up his mind.

"I'll stay with you, Captain," he said, glancing once past her to Elizabeth. His fiancé met his eye for only a second before turning resolutely to leave with Jack.

His heart twisting in indecision, Will followed Sinbad.

* * *

Review! Let me know how I'm doing - is the story good, bad, ugly...? Hope you enjoyed the whole Sinbad-is-Jack's-sister twist. I liked it, lol. :) 


	7. Searching for Gold

It took five days for the rest of the fleet to join them off the coast where the Navy base was. When the last ship arrived, Kari through Jack declared that they'd begin the assault as soon as darkness fell.

Jack's performance as Sinbad was award-winning – he announced himself on each ship as the most feared pirate in the world. On the ships that had thought Kale was Sinbad, he told them that he was his decoy, and that he hadn't been around because he'd been pirating in more northern waters recently.

In the afternoon, Will found himself knocking on the door to Kari's cabin once again.

"Come in," she called from inside.

Will stepped in and went over to stand in front of her desk, where she was looking over a map.

"Captain, it's my professional opinion as a fellow sailor that you shouldn't participate in this battle," he began. Kari looked up at him sharply.

"Is it now?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

He sighed. "This doesn't have to be a massacre. The Navy will probably surrender straight away, once they've see your fleet – you have to give them that option. But I think that if you go into battle yourself, you won't be in a condition to give orders like that."

She angrily stood up and he prepared to be decked again, but then she slumped over the map in defeat.

"You're probably right, Will. But I don't have a choice. If I stay on the ship I won't be able to give commands at all. And if I go on land I have to fight, or what will my crew think of me?"

Will crouched down so that he was at her eye level. "On this ship, where people know you, they trust you. And they have faith in you – most of them owe you their lives, so they are in no position to question you, anyway."

She looked up, met his eyes. "Will…" She looked away, then back to ask, "Is that why you decided to stay? To try and stop me from fighting?"

He nodded.

With a sigh, she sat back, and Will stood up again.

"Well, thankyou. But I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about it. I'll see you later, Will."

He was dismissed.

That night, thirty-two ships extinguished all their lamps and moved silently into the bay where the Navy port was. The pirates were almost upon them by the time they were spotted, and all their ships were taken over in a matter of minutes – Sinbad had been insistent that the enemy ships were to be kept intact, because she'd promised at least two of her hirelings a ship as payment for their assistance.

Her flagship and the Black Pearl sailed very closely side by side, so that a messenger was able to secretly relay commands from Kari to Jack. As the enemy ships were being boarded, Will pulled the boy aside and told him that Kari had also ordered the enemy crews not to be killed, but kept to sell into slavery. He'd suddenly understood the merit of this option – at least they would have a chance to escape.

Aside from that, Will stood by Kari's side at the helm and watched the small town as they approached. It seemed like they had dealt with all the naval resistance there was to be had.

Then, three more ships appeared around a spur, much larger than the others, and fully crewed with red-coated men. Kari groaned to herself, and quickly relayed more orders to the messenger boy.

When she stood straight again, Will touched her arm. She looked up at him.

"Don't worry. We'll free the villagers," he said reassuringly. She nodded and turned back to the helm.

Will stepped back to the rail and chewed his lip, wondering when he'd developed feelings for his captain. He hadn't even seen them coming, and then suddenly they were there. Considering, he knew that it was definitely after he'd found out about Elizabeth and Jack… He sighed. Did he truly believe that? He didn't know anymore.

He looked up as the cannon fire started. Sinbad's strategy was excellent. She controlled her fleet with precision, easily disabling each Navy ship before it even drew level with them, but not sinking it. Then one of her ships would draw up each side and board, another newly-appointed Captain running to take the helm.

Will now saw what Kari had originally had in mind for him – she needed Captains for the ships she was constantly taking over, and she had heard of his reputation. So she'd decided to train him up, and she could be reasonably sure that he would be loyal to her, because she'd rescued him from slavery.

It was a good system.

Soon the pirate fleet drew in range of the fort and rained down cannon fire until it was smouldering. With all those ships, it only took another few minutes. Then the pirates piled into the longboats to row to shore, all with the goldmine at the forefront of their minds.

And when her own crew started to lower their boats, Kari turned to Will.

"Well, are you coming?" She asked. Kale stepped up to take control of the ship. Will followed her down the companionway and across the deck. "Kari, you really don't have to go ashore…"

She held up a hand. "Stow it, Turner. Are you coming or aren't you?"

"I'm coming."

As soon as they reached shore, the crewmembers drew their swords and muskets and ran into the town. Will jumped out and dragged the boat further up the beach to be sure it wouldn't float away.

"Let's try to find Jack," Kari called over the noise of the fighting, shouting and breaking glass.

She and Will made their way cautiously down the beach, but they had no success in avoiding the fight. A fleeing servant ran down from the streets to try to escape, and when he saw Will and Kari he raised a smashed bottle with jagged glass as a weapon. Will quickly stepped in front to take him as the man rushed forwards with the bottle, and Will managed to duck out of his way on the first swipe. He didn't want to draw his sword, because he didn't want to kill the man, just knock him out. On his second attack the servant succeeded in grazing Will's arm with the sharp glass, but immediately after this Will's fist connected with his temple, and the man collapsed in the sand.

"Ouch…" Will muttered, looking down at the bloody cuts above his elbow. Then Kari grabbed his shoulder. "Look! There's Jack, up that street! Come on!"

Then ran in the direction she'd seen him and soon found themselves in the thick of battle with the grounded Navy troops.

This time, Will was obliged to draw his sword against the properly-armed enemy, and he fought with only half his concentration, the other half watching Kari and making sure he stayed near her.

To his dismay, she indeed seemed to be losing herself again. She was fighting offensively, not just in self-defence as Will was, and she quickly left a trail of bodies behind her.

When there was a lull in the amount of soldiers in their street, Will punched his foe in the head and knocked him out, then ran over to where Kari was picking up a grenade someone had dropped without pulling the ring out.

Will made it just in time – he caught her wrist as she drew her arm back to throw it and pulled it away from her, throwing it into the middle of the street were it exploded relatively harmlessly. They were both thrown off their feet in the shockwave and Kari tried to scramble away from him, but he was faster, catching her around the waist and pinning her to the ground beneath him.

"Kari, snap out of it," he yelled over the noise.

"Get off me, Turner!" She tried to roughly push him away. "Why'd you take the bloody grenade away, you whelp?"

In frustration, Will slapped her. Not hard, but enough that she stopped yelling at him.

"Listen," he said, pointing to the house she'd been about to destroy. From inside, there was the sound of a baby crying.

Kari's eyes finally met his, and they widened. He sat back, releasing his hold on her wrists, and offered a hand to help her up. She took it, but when she stood he spotted tears welling in her eyes and she tried to thank him.

Carefully, he pulled her to him, putting his arms around her and holding her tightly as she buried her head in his shoulder and struggled to compose herself.

He said nothing, just closed his eyes and thanked the gods that he'd stopped her in time. Now, he hoped, she'd be able to complete this mission with a clear head.

Across the street, Elizabeth paused to peer over at the two figures embracing, wondering if they were friend or foe. When she saw that Will was one of them, her heart froze and for a second she didn't know what to do. Then she turned and fled back down the street before either of them saw her, running to where Jack stood hidden in the shadows of someone's front yard, looking over a rough map.

He looked up as she ran over to him, noting the tears that welled in her eyes, and tried to ask what was wrong, but she cut him off as she ran into his arms and sobbed once against his chest.

Very awkwardly, he put his arms around her in return and looked down at her, trying to see her face.

"What's happened, love?" He asked in what he hoped was a gentle voice.

Elizabeth breathed deeply to get control over her voice. "Will… and Kari… together. Will doesn't love me, Jack!"

"Well, you weren't exactly encouraging, if you remember, Liz."

"I know. I don't know why I acted that way. I ruined everything."

Jack took her by the shoulders and gently pushed her back to stand on her own.

"Don't assume anything until you've had a proper talk with young William, I'd say. Now come on, let's go and find this goldmine."

* * *

Thanks goes to my one and only reviewer (who doesn't know me personally), PirateAngel1286. You're currently my favourite person in the world!

Hope this chapter was enjoyable. There's more to come, within the next few days hopefully:)


	8. Pirates

After a few minutes, Kari pulled herself together. She reached up to wipe tears from her eyes but Will stopped her, brushing them away with his thumbs instead. She smiled as she looked up at him and reached up a hand to cup his face. Will closed his eyes and leaned slightly closer, waiting for her lips to meet his – instead there was an explosion down the street in the direction they'd come from, accompanied by shouting voices that were moving closer.

They both snapped back to reality.

"Let's find Jack, and then get to that gold mine to make sure everything's going smoothly," Kari said, picking up her hat from the ground and dusting it off as she continued up the street. Will nodded in agreement and trailed after her, confusion threatening to well up from his fluttering stomach and choke him to death.

He'd almost kissed Kari… But he loved Elizabeth… But Elizabeth didn't want him… Did she?... And he really _wanted_ to kiss Kari… But was that because he now loved her instead? Or was it just…a feeling?

He paused in the middle of the street and pretended to adjust his boot lace while he took some deep breaths and tried to calm himself. He tried to focus on the battle, pushing his personal feelings aside… Only to have them surface again when up ahead, Kari spotted Jack, who stepped out of the shadows with Elizabeth right beside him.

_After the battle_, he told himself, _I can deal with this afterwards_.

"Hurry up, Will!" Kari called back to him impatiently as the group started to move off. He straightened and ran after them.

It didn't take them long to find the gold mine. It was just outside the small town and all the pirates seemed to have gathered there. Assuming his role, Jack elbowed through the group to the centre of interest – one of the pirate captains holding a young man at sword point at the entrance to the mine, which seemed to have been boarded up. Kari followed in his wake with Will close behind, Elizabeth considerably further back.

Noting Jack's presence, the pirate scowled. "Here be Master Sinbad hisself! Say it again, boy, what we all don't want to be hearin'."

"The m-mine is closed," the young man stammered, his throat clogged with fear. "It's b-been stripped dry."

The pirates standing around muttered amongst themselves rebelliously, and some shouted out their unfavourable opinions of the situation and of Jack.

So quietly that no one else besides Will and Jack heard, Kari quickly muttered, "There's more ore in the jungle this isn't the only one." At the same time, the Captain shoved the young miner away and challenged Jack; "So how're you going to pay for our services now, Mr Sinbad, may I ask?"

Will vaguely wondered how Kari had managed to speak without moving her lips at all, and he hoped Jack had heard her.

The temporary Sinbad stepped forward and clapped his fellow pirate Captain on the back.

"Not to worry, mate – not a problem at all. See, there's a heap more rock with gold ore in the jungle all around here – they're just all untapped as of yet."  
As he finished speaking, there was a small commotion towards the back of the group, and then the small boy from Sinbad's ship pushed into the centre of the circle. It was the first time Will had heard the boy speak louder than a whisper, as all his previous jobs had involved relaying secretive messages. Now he shouted to everyone, "They coming, they coming! A whole huge fleet of Navy, they 'peared on the horizon not ten minutes ago!"

There were some mutterings of unease, but the pirate Captain in the middle now turned his sword on Jack. "You'd best be leadin' us to these other mines fairly quick then, I'd say, Mr Sinbad."

At the front of the procession of pirates, Jack led the way. He was held at gunpoint by Will – the antagonistic pirate Captain, whose title they now knew was Scotts, had assumed Will was an ally pirate and had given him the job of prodding Jack in the back with his musket as they stumbled through the undergrowth. Behind them was a group of about ten pirates, mostly Captains and first mates, into which Elizabeth and Kari had blended.

Without turning, Jack muttered back to Will, "Any idea which way to go, mate?"

"I'm working on it," Will replied, under his breath. He glanced behind him casually, and in the glance managed to see Kari on the edge of the group, her hands casually tucked in her front pockets with her thumbs both pointing to the right. He met her eyes briefly before turning back to Jack.

"Turning right," he whispered, turning his head to watch Kari out of the corner of his eye until she stopped pointing right, and he nudged Jack with the barrel of the gun again to make him walk straight.

"Mate," Jack spoke again, stepping carefully over a log. "There's something I've got to tell you – Elizabeth-"

"Having a nice conversation there, Mr Sinbad?" Captain Scotts suddenly loomed up behind them and Will quickly reclaimed his cover.

"Aye, he's fond of bloody muttering to hisself, sir, but I been telling him to bloody shut his bloody mouth if he don't want a bullet through 'is bloody back right now. Aye."

Jack grimaced at the boy's lousy attempt at a pirate accent, and Captain Scotts frowned. "Alright, boy, settle down," he said, and dropped back to the group again.

"Don't do that again," Jack groaned under his breath. "Now he thinks you're queer." To accent his point, Jack pushed through a branch and let it snap back into Will's face.

"Ow! No he doesn't, he believed me!"

"Keep your voice down. Now, about Elizabeth-"

Will jammed the barrel into Jack's spine again. "I don't want to hear it, Jack, I already get it." He glanced back to Kari again and relayed her instructions. "Slightly left."

"Will, you're not-"

"Shut up, Jack."

"But I-"

"I'm not listening!"

"SHE LOVES _YOU_, MATE!"

There was an almost audible silence. Jack turned slowly to see the whole group of pirates staring at the two of them in confusion.

Will didn't see anything but stars for a few seconds, because Scotts had stepped forward and rapped him on the head with the hilt of his sword.

"Stupid whelp," he muttered, before cocking his pistol at Jack.

"Alright, enough of these games. Now tell us once and for all, _Captain_ Sinbad, is there gold here or ain't there?"

Jack swallowed heavily. "Well, mate…"

"It's here!" Someone yelled, with a rather high-pitched voice for a man, causing everyone to turn and examine a rock. From the ground, Will tried to focus his eyes on Kari drawing her sword and slashing a section of vines away to reveal a rock face that he couldn't believe he hadn't realised was there. And it was plainly laced with gold.

The pirates gasped and rushed forward to examine it closely.

"There, you see? What did I tell you, mates?" Jack yelled, trying to recapture their attention. After a second of examining the metal, Scotts turned back and nodded, shoving his pistol back in his belt.

"Now," Jack said with relief. "I believe we had an agreement regarding this approaching Navy fleet."

"Aye, that we did. Back to the ships now, laddies, we've got a battle approachin'!"

* * *

I was very excited yesterday to find that I had FOUR new reviews! It made my day :) So here are some replies:

PirateAngel1286: Still my favourite person in the world, having now reviewed TWICE!

Willabeth0906: Thankyou! I just hope it wasn't too clichéd.

Smithy: Yep that's true, but he's attracted to her a little bit too.

Rokhal: Thanks very much – I hope the rest of the story meets expectations!

Only one or two chapters to go now - the end is nigh. So any feedback is much appreciated at this stage:)


	9. Finale

Sorry for the long wait. I was kinda hoping for some more reviews before I posted the last chapter, but anyway, here it is :)

One review reply:

Pirate-x-Girls: Wow thankyou! I'm glad it's interesting – hopefully not too predictable!

* * *

Will tried to find Elizabeth but in the confusion of all the pirates running roaring back to their ships, he lost her, and all he could do was return to Sinbad's ship and help prepare for the battle. He was one of the last to return to the ship by longboat and as soon as he was on board they set off towards the mouth of the bay. The Navy fleet seemed to be waiting for them, out in the open water, and perhaps hoping to catch them in a pincer movement as they passed the heads. But with the amount of ships they had, this strategy would not be effective.

Will paused amid the confusion on the deck, where men were running back and forth with cannonballs and guns, to look up at the overcast sky. Just as he did so, it suddenly started to rain heavily, as it often does in the tropics. Considering the symbology, he thought maybe it represented his relief about Elizabeth. Then he shook the daydream out of his head – he still had to talk to her, and to do that he had to survive this battle.

When he returned his gaze to the ship, he found Kari in front of him with a raised eyebrow.

"Nice daydream, Turner?" she asked wryly.

"Sorry, Captain," he replied automatically. "Rain."

She nodded. "Look," she lowered her voice so the crew didn't hear. "I just wanted to thank you, for before. You were right."

Will smiled slightly. "You're welcome."

She looked over his shoulder. "Battle's about to begin." Then she eyed the blood stains on his sleeve. "Make sure you look after yourself, this time, okay?"

He nodded and she turned to walk towards her cabin. Will stepped over to lean on the rail of the nearby companionway as he pulled out a cloth and cleaned his musket. Lifting it to check the sight was clear, he saw through the little ring into the cabin where Kari had gone, leaving the door slightly ajar.

Inside were Kari and Kale, and they were kissing.

Will couldn't help but stare, even as the first cannon blast sounded. He slowly lowered his gun.

He couldn't believe he'd been so stupid. She'd never cared about him, and he'd thought she had. She'd been playing with him – no, he corrected. She never really did anything. It was me.

The cannon fire was thick now as they neared the enemy ships. He turned away from the cabin and faced the battle before Sinbad noticed he was staring. Soon after, she brushed past him on her way up to the helm.

He felt disillusioned. Turning again, he searched the approaching ally ships for the one with black sails. There it was – not too far away. Could he see Elizabeth amongst the crew? He couldn't tell. They all looked like men from here.

Then, without warning, he was airborne. One of the cannonballs had hit the side of the ship and rocked it, and he was too close to the edge and not holding on to anything. Pieces of splintered wood flew overboard with him and he felt a sharp pain in his back and then something hit him in the head and that was the end.

He had vague memories of floating amongst carnage, of the sounds of battle and ships looming over him on all sides, but he was later told that Elizabeth had been the one who spotted him floating on a piece of driftwood for the second time in her life.

He was hauled on to the Black Pearl and carried below where, once again, she treated his wounds.

It was a few hours later when he woke to the sound of Elizabeth shouting at Jack.

"…coward!" was the first word he distinguished. "I cannot believe you, she is your sister. Don't you ever feel anything remotely similar to loyalty? You have to turn the ship around! You made a deal with her!"

Jack's voice: "Well, actually I _have_ fulfilled my part of that particular deal. I never agreed to anything regarding a permanent position. The battle was won, love, and you needn't worry about my sister. She's very well-equipped to take care of herself, whether she admits it or not."

"_Jack, you_-"

"Hold it, darling. I think you may want to continue this conversation at a later time."

Will's blurry vision showed him Jack over Elizabeth's shoulder, pointing at him. His fiancé turned.

"Will!" She ran to his side and took his hand. "You're awake! I'm so glad."

"Allow me a parting comment, Elizabeth." Both looked back up at Jack as he stood in the doorway. "Note that I have fulfilled all my promises. We have what we came for." He left.

Will looked back at Elizabeth. "Gold?" He asked, trying to recall when Jack would have had a chance to collect it.

"No," she said, kissing him on the forehead. "You."


End file.
